Discover Camotes, Cebu
There is a paradise island northeast of Cebu waiting to be discovered and explored. I am sure not all of you had gone there. Even I, who had lived in Cebu most of my life, had only gone there once, two weeks ago. I am referring to Camotes, and the towns of San Francisco, Poro, Tudela and Pilar.
How To Get To Camotes
Of course, you have to fly or ride a boat to Cebu to get there. There are no direct flights there though there was once an airstrip in that island. The two most famous resorts in the place, Santiago Bay Garden and Resort and Mangodlong Rock Resort are both located in the town of San Francisco. The scenic Danao Lake can also be found in this same town. Here’s the direction for the budget conscious:
1. Ride a Public Jeep to Danao City, North of Cebu (P25)
2. If you don’t know where to find that jeep going to Danao, go to Mandaue City and find the Highway and A.S. Fortuna crossing. In front of Andok’s are many jeepneys.
3. Since the motorized banca leaves Danao for Camotes at 6:00am and 10:30am daily, you got to depart from Cebu City two hours earlier. Early morning travels takes less than an hour. If you don’t like speeding jeepneys, just close your eyes.
4. Buy a ticket and take the motorized banca. (P180)
5. If you easily get seasick, just sit on the first level, and in the middle portion. It’s a wavy ride going there. I suggest you ride on the first trip.
6. When you are already in Camotes, take a motorcycle to the resort of your choice. These motorcycles can accommodate two people. Fare is at P50/head for an 8-km ride to Santiago Bay. It isn’t cheap!
7. If you go there in a large group, you’d better arrange transportation with the resort you are staying. There aren’t too many large vehicles in there.
If you plan to bring your own vehicle, you can take the MV Melrivic 10 which departs from Cebu to Poro, Camotes at 9:00pm every MWF. Make sure you’d fill your tank with enough gasoline.
Must See Places In Camotes
You can arrange a tour with the motorcycle driver or ask from the resort’s front desk. The asking price is usually P600 plus two liters of gasoline (@P63/liter). You can always negotiate for a lower price. Multi-cabs can be rented at P3-P4k. The whole tour would only cover a distance of less than 80km, and can be finished in 4-6 hours. If you take the first trip from Danao City, you’ll arrive at around 8:30 am so you still have time to rest. You may start your tour at 10:00am.
Here are the must see places in Camotes and be sure you are ready with your cameras and bathing suits:
Bukilat Cave
This one can be found in Tudela, which is almost 40 kilometers away from the port of Consuelo. This enchanted-looking cave used to shelter the locals from the raiding Japanese soldiers during World War II. During high tide, the place is ideal for swimming.
Lake Danao
The lake is a very serene place located in San Francisco town. You can explore it by hiking in some trails or by renting a motorized banca. I think one can also bring his own kayak in here. For the motorized banca, you’d need to shell out P500 for an hour ride. I wish they had some floating restaurants or a fishing ground with plenty of fish.
Guadalupe (Timobo) Cave
This one is awesome. Inside the cave is a crystal-clear fresh water waiting for you to take a dip and explore. The local guard of the cave said that the water is flowing to and fro from somewhere within. There is still much to explore inside and I really enjoyed the few minutes we spent there.
Mangodlong Rock Resort
Very scenic white beach and clear water. The room rates here are a little bit expensive compare to the other one. But this place has a swimming pool.
Santiago Bay Garden and Resort
Awesome Santiago Bay! Even by just watching this bay at low tide relaxes you. There are smaller resorts near the area but the prices are not that cheap. Better if you just reserve a room in this nice resort.
For this trip, there’s not really much planning needed if you go there on lean season. You can experience Camotes in just a weekend vacation. For a group of four in one room, the total cost for the weekend vacation (from Cebu City only) is just around P1400-1800 (US$40) per person.
For the money making bloggers and those who joined the Cebu SEO contest, you can spare a weekend for a great Camotes’ experience.
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Ceblogger is a CPA trapped in his cubicle while his mind wanders outside watching the world, and exploring possibilities his mind conceived.
August 14th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
that picture of the mangodlong rock resort is lovely.
and santiago bay looks quite scenic as well. it’s too bad the place is some ways off, and getting there isn’t so straightforward. still, i guess its relative out-of-the-way-ness is why it’s managed to continue to look as good.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I want to visit Camotes too. I met an owner of one of the resorts there during my trip to Palawan last May. I hope next summer I can visit Camotes.
August 15th, 2008 at 4:19 am
sir vonx,, visit nya ko diha puhon…
August 15th, 2008 at 4:53 am
scatterhaiku, whereever in the world you are, come and visit the Philippines. There are plenty of beautiful places and faces here.
glads, to get there, ride a Ceres bus to cebu via Escalante. Drop off at Danao City. The port is right across the church.
lhurey, tomorrow and next weekend would be a great time. long weekends because of the holidays.
August 15th, 2008 at 6:34 am
aww Cebu. I wish I could go there someday. Marami daw magagandang tao dyan. heehee. :p
August 16th, 2008 at 12:33 am
hello! was here. yes, I heard a lot of Camotes Island from our churchmate who works there.
August 16th, 2008 at 5:18 am
Camotes is indeed breathtaking. I’ve been to Mangodlong Rock Resort, Santiago Bay and Lake Danao. Camotes is like unspoilt paradise. My father-in-law hails from San Francisco, Camotes. We hope to visit there again soon and explore the caves.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Bro,
Ang ganda naman pala dyan sa inyo. Hayaan mo sa susunod at may pagkakataon eh magsho-shoot ako dito sa Ilocos para naman may idea rin kayo before you come here.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
laarni, cebu pacific tickets are on sale.
kerslyn, welcome back to this parts. Your churchmate must have something good to say about Camotes.
lourie, the place really has eco-tourism potential. very nice gyud!
bro jessie, sige. I’m really curious how Ilocos looks like.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Nice to see another Cebu blogger.. Yipeeh.. Are based in Cebu now? Did you join the Cebu bloggers meets?
Arnold
http://cebutravel.net63.net
http://cebuheritage.com
August 29th, 2008 at 1:41 am
hi arnold, thanks for dropping by! I’m based in cebu now. I’ve been to one eb before. I met bloggers like, Weli, Rhodz, Empress, and Maibe. I haven’t joined the latest meets.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:12 am
whewww.. camotes island is one on my hitlist hehehe i can’t wait til november…thanks for the post..
September 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Yeah, really love the place!
Soon to be back.It was a summer to remember when I went there!love the place, it\’s a paradise on Earth!
September 27th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Nice place to visit if you know somebody you can trust to take you around the island of Camotes Tudela,Poro and San Francisco. If you have been there about a decade ago, the island is the most improved and their homes. Try to visit that place with your family and you’ll throughly enjoy it. Just incase you’re a resident of California I’m offering you for 2 day’s to stay in my rest house for free. just contact me in my email. JMJ
September 29th, 2008 at 2:19 am
jimiboy, thanks for dropping by my site. Indeed, it has the most improvements. I’ve been there a decade ago to check on some agricultural projects of an audit client. Though it’s very near from Cebu, I really haven’t explored the place until recently.
Unfortunately, I’m not a resident of California.
Hope the offer stays. hehe.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:57 am
r dr boats operating on holidays?
(nov 1 and 2) most specially in danao.
October 21st, 2008 at 11:55 am
neil, there should be. it’s a heyday for the boat operators. be sure to arrive ahead of departure time. but be careful of overcrowded vessels. it’s wavy ride to camotes.
July 26th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Thank you for the tips on how to get to there. Great pictures by the way, really help me paint a picture on what to see on the island. I can’t wait to get there already, 2 more months!
September 9th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
yup when it comes to ala hidden paradise spots; Camotes is on the A list!
March 17th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
hi im ALFRED. im a driver here in camotes island. for your transportation you can contact me with this number 0905-155-0325. i have motorbikes and multicab. thank you…
June 27th, 2011 at 11:18 am
camotes is a good place but the people suck!!!
na shock man siguro ni sila kay nikalit man sila ug ka famous.
ana jud cguro ni sa!?grabe ang pagpangwarta.from the transpo to that ******* tour to the boat schedule!
p.s SPECIAL MENTION
kato amung driver na wala me gi pick up,ALFRED?WALA JUD KAY AU BAI!BILIB KO SA IMU ACTING
SANTIAGO BAY RESORT WAITERS AND STAFF!
MGA TANGA MO,ask mo sako room number nya akong gipa charge akong food dili mo kay cash jud!whats the sense??/hihihi